The possibilities of large-scale 3D printing have been demonstrated in the construction of El Cosmico, a glampground in Marfa, Texas.
El Cosmico, a well-known glamping site in West Texas, will be reimagined as a 62-acre community with a hotel, pool, and spa. The off-grid desert campground, founded by hospitality visionary Liz Lambert, is one of the area’s most beloved attractions where vacationers can opt to sleep under the stars in a safari tent, yurt, teepee, or vintage Airstream.
Now, Lambert has teamed up with Austin-based startup Icon and architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to reimagine and relocate the hotel using 3D printing technology.
“I have had a vision for the evolution of El Cosmico for many years that includes several spaces that add to the experience both for guests and locals – a pool, a hammam, and more space for art and skills-building workshops,” said Liz Lambert.
The project will expand the current 21-acre spread into a remote, 62-acre community with dome-shaped guest dwellings and huts, a circular infinity pool with cabanas, an open-air spa, and additional shared spaces where guests can gather for workshops. Everything from the design down to the building materials will take inspiration from the natural landscape. In fact, desert soil will be added to the concrete mix used for construction so that the structures mimic the color and texture of a traditional abode. Also on the property will be a collection of 3D-printed homes.
“Our collaboration with El Cosmico and Icon has allowed us to pursue the formal and material possibilities of cutting-edge 3D-printed construction untethered by the traditional limitations of a conventional site or client,” explains Bjarke Ingels, founder and Creative Director of BIG, in a press statement.
“Liz Lambert’s legacy for reimagining hospitality and her pioneering of a contemporary Texan aesthetic combined with the minimalistic nature and culture, art and landscape of Marfa has been the perfect fit to pursue a new architectural vernacular language for El Cosmico in Marfa.”
“In collaborating with the revolutionary thinkers at BIG and ICON, not only do I get to fulfill this dream, but we get to do it using this incredible 3D printing technology that marries the oldest principles of raw earth-based building with a futuristic technology that works more quickly, sustainably and efficiently than modern construction.
“What’s more, the innovation and beauty of the types of structures we can build extends far beyond the box. It’s fitting that ICON has a contract with NASA to build the first dwellings on the moon and on Mars. I’m excited that we get to explore their incredible work right here in our own little cosmic landscape under the stars in far West Texas.”
The new hotel features organic curves and domes, achieved by 3D printing. ICON’s technology creates soft shapes and curved surfaces, and a single 3D printed wall spirals around a raised bed platform to provide a unique framed view to the sky.
While there’s no word on when the development will be completed, it’s expected to break ground sometime in 2024. Though, attendees of SXSW got a sneak preview of what to expect when Lambert, BIG, and ICON collabed on the world’s first 3-D-printed performance pavilion.
